Flying-boat cruiser.



, G.Y H. CURTISS.

FLYING BOAT CRUISER. APPLICATION FILED IIIIAII. 31, 1916.

1 ,283,684. Patented Nov. 5,1918.

2` SHEETS-SHEET l.

^ UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

GLENN II. CURTISS, oE BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssIGNoE 'ro T'IIE cUIvIIss AEEoBIv-LANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

FLYING-BOAT CRUISER.

` Patented Nov. 5., 195178.

Application led March 81, 1916. Serial No. 88,090.

To all/whom t may-Gomera:

Be it known that I, GLENN H. CURTISS, a

citizen of the United 'States,- residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New .York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Boat Cruisers, of which the following is aspeeication.

My invention relates to boat hulls of'that description commonly used in connection with theI type. of iying machine called hy-` droaeroplanes. This type is characterized by the support of the tail controls upon and t e passengers within the body of the boat,

l hull which also carries a beam of itself the supporting planes.. However, as will appear hereinafter, my invention is applicable to hulls of hydroplanes and to all types o flying boat.'

,- While attemptshave-heretofore'been made to construct successful cruising` hydroaerof^ planes or flying boats, such attempts, inso1 far as I am aware, have utterly .failed both in purpose and design owing to thevlimited usefulspace in the body of :the hull and the` requisite symmetrical disposition of weight as regardsy the center of gravity, of

the machine. It isfn'ot only essential that duewegard beV givenI the disposition of fixed. `and variable load but equally important that as near perfect streamline form be ,maintained asis practicable.

In cruising over a wide or extended'areaf of water and land, it is quite often desirable 'and in fact necessary that a means' beprovided whereby the occupant or occupantsof the machine may retire and sleep with `comfort and ease and without regard to weather conditions. .It` is further desirable that primary object ofthe'prese'nt' invention' is to provide what-I- shall hereinafter term a l pleasure or sportsmanscraft-lz'. 6.,"a `hydro- V aeroplanev or flying boatl` :offthe cruising l symmetrically inclose a cabin,'.bunkers,-'pfro` 'Y water-'propeller ordinarily inactive and re-I type having" its hull 'portion constructedtoj pelling.` "power plant,"v fuelv f storage space, auxiliary motor and other conveniences., apI 4 pliance'sj' or'jappa'ratus `v deemedv essential to longcontinue'd although iinterru-p'ted flight. i I furtherV contemplate' 'an Iari-angementv of parts whereby, inemer'gencythe'craft mayv vbe propelled through the drivingactionfofa l 'moved fromV View. l-

lpurely-a hydroplane.

In the accompanying drawings, I have' shown in detail the embodiment 'of my inv ention which I consider preferred, but desire it to be ,understood that other embodi-v ments involving the same principles and v having the same basic characteristics are in tended to be comprehended in the generi@ ,spirit yof` the invention as originally conceived. y

Of the drawings: I .I I 6 Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view yof my improved flying boat hull stripped of The body proper of thehull is designated l l0. It is essentially of streamline form having a rather bluntland bulged-out head portion. whichcommences to taper rearwardly sli-ghtly in advanceof its center to a terminusat the vertical rudder post section 11. 80

The bottom Vlforms a V-shaped hydroplan ing surfacejin .cross-section. of a width equaling the beam of the boat, and is inclined from ,front to -I'ear Aon a curve, as illustrated invFig.v l fl, the inclination being suitably downward at the bowand then continued at a gradually i =lessening degree Vof, curvature rearwardlyl until its path is very nearlyk a straight line.

This .bottom '14 ofthe tail-portion ofv the boat inclines upwardly from thestep 13 and 90. v

lies in aplanemaking a salient angle with. the ibottonilQl of the forward portion. The

surface v14k does not .act as :a hydroplaning Y bunkers, lockers Aand other conveniences ,be

provided. Withjthe foregoing in view', the q surface in conjunction with ,-thesurface 12.

planes"` and control" surfaces',1it isto vbel-understood that such` parts:areabsolutely essentialfi'f usedfin. a'capacityfpther than In the 'approximate' verticalplane of thef Ll center" of gravity, a' cabin structure. desigl natedv as. anientiretyfbyzthe Inumeral 15 .is l provided, the lmentioned. structure'having L af y length, #overall sufficient to'. faccommodatell, bunkers: v1-16 .which extend s Y longitudinally thereofiat opposite sidesofthel cabin ,tocacwf cordinglyl provide an `aisle or fpassage. wayy therebetween. -Windows. 17 are: formed in: g lthe cabin sides toi admit of light and ventila= -1 tion. Atthe aft end of and within the cabin', a locker 18 is constructed, the'locker being of a size admitting of inward swinging movement of a door 19 located in the cabin to permit entrance and exit respectively thereinto and therefrom from the aft cated interiorly of theV aft cockpit 20 in construction is inounte superimposed relation as illustrated in Fig. 1, the top walls of they mentioned compartments jointly serving as the flooring for the cockpit 20. A bulkhead 25 divides the aft cockpit 2O from the tail portion 11 of the The operators seat, denoted 26, is mounted in the rear or aft-cockpit 2O to thus-obviate the necessity of extending the various dbntrol leads (not shown) interiorly of the cabin 15.

A door 27, designed to swing outwardly is mounted-at the forward end of the cabin 15 to permit of entrance thereinto from the forward cockpit 28. The flooring 29 for the forward cockpit 28 is stepped as illustrated. The raised portion at its forward end sup ports an 'auxiliary'motor 30 conjunctively utilizable as a propelling power plant for the craft in an emergency and-as a starter, under ordinary conditions, for the main propelling' power plant 3l. The main propel ling power plant 31 is located 'forwardly of the cabin 15 'and beneath the ,flooring 29 of the cockpit 28. An en 'ne bed of suitable directlyv above the hydroplaning surface of the craft that the weight of the engine mounted on the bed may be borne primarily at a point where the craft isv transversely braced by bilge fins 36 of a construction common to many hydroplanes and hydroaeroplanes of the .Curtiss type. Power is transmitted from the power plant or engine 31l to the aerial propellers '.(not shown) 'by the gear and shaft arrange ment designated generally 32. The fuel supply tanks for the power plant 31 are preferably located interiorly of the cabin .and 'beneath the bunkers 16 formed therein. All variable load is thus located in the approximate vertical plane of the center of gravity. Steps 33 lead from the forward cockpit 28 to the cabin l-since the flooring 29 for the cockpit28 is disposed in a horizontal plane considerably above the horizontal plane of the flooring 34 of the cabin.

' The' forward cockpit28 may be closed to preclude .the admission of water `therei'nto while ihydroplaning, opposed inwardly swinging doors 36, and a single outwardly swinging door 37 being,utilized for that purpose. Lockers 39 are located interiorly of the forward cockpit at opposite sides of Y Lacasse the longitudinal center thereof' as illustrated in Fig. 2.

To admit of travel in an emergency, a water propeller 40 is provided aft of thestep 13. Motion is transmitted from the auxiliary motor 30 to the propeller 40 by a suitable transmission mechanism including a propeller shaft 41. Ifdesired, the propeller and a portion of the propeller shaft may be bodily swung into a position interiorly of the hull when not in use.`

Wing panel sections 42y extend abeam of the hull and constitute in reality an integral part thereof, the opposed sections forming with that portipn of the hull directly over the cabinya deck.I rllhe wing panels are braced to the hull as indicated'at 43.

The bulkhead 25 together with bulkheads 44 and 45 located respectively at the rear end of and at the forward end of the cabin structure, subdivide the boat hull into a' plurality of non-communicating water-tight compartments 'whereby in the event of an accident, water may be admitted to but one of said compartments.

It is evident from theforegoing that the fixed load constituting the hull equipment is arranged symmetrically as regards the center of gravity since the weight of..,.the pilot or operator will to a large extent counterbalance the weight of the power plant 31; and that" a continuous passage way is formed through the .cabin admitting` of movement, interiorly of the hull, from one to the other of the cockpits formed therein'.

It is lquite evident from the foregoing that a number of modifications and changes may be made in theactual practice of the invention without departing from the generic spirit thereof. For instance, the rela'- tive arrangement of thev pilots cockpit, now aft ofthe cabin, may be located forwardly thereof and the propelling power plantl lo! lated aft, or, if desired, the relative arrangement of the storage compartments may be varied without vrestriction providing it is borne in mind that the various weights are. to be distributed symmetrically with regard to the center Yof gravity of the machine. I therefore do not wish to limit myself except in so far as the appended claims require.

What I claim is: 1. A hydro-aircraft including a hull having an interiorly located cabin space for voccupancy by the flying crew, 'ha hull ,bottom characterized by fore and aft convexity, the lowermost point in the hull bottom l in beneath the cabin structure andsubstantially beneath the center of gravity of the craft, a step formed in the hull bottom, the relation of the step to the cabin kbein'gsuch that the cabin floor 'reinforces 'the step by bridging it, and aeroplane wings extending out laterally from the'sides ofthe hull opposite the cabin.

2. A hydro-aircraft, including a hull havy Aneaae.

the interconnection being such that the roofof the cabin constitutes a structural element thereof.

3. A hydro-aircraft including a hull havingan interiorly located cabin space for occupancy by the flying crew, fin excrescencies formed upon the hull sides opposite the cabin, a motor located interiorly of the hull nbetween the fin excrescencies, a cockpit opening tothe cabin and from which the motor is accessible, and aeroplane wings extending plrilt laterally from the hull sides above the 4. A hydro-aircraft including a hull having an interiorly` located cabin space for occupany by the flying crew, cockpits, located respectively in advance of and to the rear of the cabin, steps leading into the cabin from both cockpits, aeroplane wings extending out laterally from the hull sides opposite the cabin, and transparencies formed in the cabin sides below the aeroplane wings and above the normal lwater line of the hull when it rests lon the surface of the water.

5. A hydro-aircraft including a hull having an interiorly located cabin space for occupancy by the flying crew, iin excrescencies formed upon vthe sides of the hull opposite the cabin. space and nearer the chines than gunwales of the hull, and aeroplane wings extending out laterally from the hull. sides above the-fins but below the longitudinal horizontal plane 'of the cabin roof.

6..-` A hydro-aircraft including a hull having an interior cabin space forv the flying crew located in thetransverse vertical plane` of the center of gravity, fin excrescencies formed `upon the 'sides of the hull opposite the cabin space in the vicinity ofthe chines of the hull, aeroplane wings extending out claterally from thehull sides above the lins but below the longitudinal -horizontal plane of the cabin roof, and an interconnection between the opposed wings arranged vto extend `transversely across thev hull without intersecting the interior. 'space of the cabin.

7. A hydroaircraft including a hull body having a forwardly located hydroplaning bottom surface terminating rearwardly in a transverse edge, the hull body being further provided with cabin space for occu- 'pancy by the flying crew, flooring for the cabin space extended forwardly beyond the transverse edge to oyerliethe hydroplaning bott-om surface, a motor mounted interiorly of the hull directly above saidbottom surface but without the confines .of theI cabin, and a'cockpit open to the cabin, the cockpit flooring constituting a covering for the motor. l

8. A hydro-aircraft including a hull` having an interiorly located lcabin space for oc cupancy by the flying crew, cockpits located respectively in advance of'and to the rear of the cabin, steps leading from the'respective cockpits into the cabin, a motor located beneath the flooring of one of said cockpits, and in excrescencies flanking that portion of the hull housing the motor as well as a portion of the cabin.

9. A hull for flying boats including a cabin structure, cockpits located respectively fore and'aft of the cabin, a propelling power plant mounted beneath the flooring of one cockpit, and storage compartments formed beneath the flooring of the other cockpit,

said last mentioned cockpit furtherI providing accommodation for the pilot during flight. Y Y

10. A hull for flying boats including cockpits located respectively fore and aft of the transverse vertical plane of the center of gravity of the machine, a cabin structure located wholly interiorly of `the hull between the respective cock its to permit unobstructed inter-travel t erebetween, and supportin surfaces arranged to extend out laterally rom opposite sides of said cabin,

y11. In a hull for flying boats, a cabin structure symmetrical about the vertical plane of the center of gravity, a propelling power plantV in advance of said center, a pilots cockpit aft thereof, a forward cockpit in the vicinity of said power plant, the cabin affording a Vpassage between said cock- ,pits, and supporting surfaces arranged to extend out laterally from the hull body at.

opposite sides of the cabin.

12.'In combination, a hydroaircraft, airplane wings, a flotation body including interiorcabin space for occupancy by the flying crew, the side walls of the cabin space affording a-rigid support for the airplane wings, cockpits located respectively fore and aft of the Cabin, an aerial propeller, and a motor inclosed in the hull bodyzfor driving the propeller, the l'flooring of one of the cockpits affording a covering for the motor.

13. The comb1nation,.in a hydroaircraft,

of airplane wings, a hull body having inter'ior cabin space' for occupancy by the ilying crew, the side walls of the cabin affording a support for theairplane wings, an aerial propeller, a motor inclosed in the hull body without the cabin space, storage com- .i

vated above the hull bottom to respectively provide covers for the storage compartmentsand for the motor.

14. A hull for flying boats including a cabin structure open at its opposite ends to cockpits located respectively fore and aft thereof and fore and aft of a line in the transverse vertical plane in the center of gravityV of the machine, built-in supporting l0 surfaces extending laterally of the hull body in the transverse plane of the cabin struc- 'ture to form therewith a deck intermediate neath the flooring of the forward cockpit tov 15 counterbalanceV the weight ofA the aviator located aft of the cabin and in the rear cockpit of the hull.

In testimony whereof I aliX my signature.

GLENN H. CURTISS. 

